Category sort
Sort by size
Reading tasks
Alphabet sequence
Upper-to-lower case letter match
Word-to-word match
Word-to-picture match
Clothespin word-to-picture match
Blocks-to-color words match
Paperclips-to-color words match
Sentence-to-picture match
Initial sound sort
Initial letter match
Character and setting sort
3-part story sequence
File by first letter
File words by category
Alphabetical order on clothespins
Holiday-to-month name binder
Opposites binder
Writing tasks
Trace lines
Draw lines to match
Spell name sequence
Letter match to spell word
Attach clothespins to spell words
Simple sentence construction with pictures
Simple sentence construction with words
Math tasks
1:1 correspondence with pegs and film canisters
1:1 correspondence with cotton balls and ice cube tray
Count dots, match to number
Count sets of items, match to number
Sequence numbers on strip
Make sets on a box
Fill in the sequence with missing number
Sequence by skip counting
Size seriation
Make sets in ice cube tray
Make sets in cups
Extend pattern with stickers
Appendix I: Sample IEP goals
Appendix II: Data sheets for tracking independence
Over the years, the work of many has contributed to wonderful advancements in the lives of autistic children and those close to them. Ms. Kimberly Henry and Future Horizons would like to accredit and extend personal gratitude to several entities and outstanding individuals that have, through their hard work, laid the foundation for How Do I Teach This Kid:
North Carolina’s TEACCH program
Laurie Eckenrode, Pat Fennell, and Kathy Hearsey,
creators of Tasks Galore
Ron and Linda Larsen of Centering on Children, Inc.,
creators of ShoeboxTasks
We hope that our readers will utilize these resources, too, as we work to improve the lives of people touched by autism.
Credit is also given to Ginna Drahan for use of her photographs of Raimee, one of my first students with autism, on the chapter divider pages.
Students with developmental delays such as those on the autistic spectrum often need direct instruction to learn to stay on task and complete assignments independently. The ideas presented in this book are designed to increase the independent work skills of beginning-level learners. The tasks are designed as starting points for students who are learning how to work independently. The visual work task system described in this book can be used by anyone teaching a child to become more independent: special education teachers, parents, and home-based therapists. The tasks can be used with preschoolers through adolescents. The tasks can even be incorporated into work times within general education classrooms. Work systems help provide students with the skills and task commitment to work independently for a sustained period of time. Students who can work independently and maintain attention to several tasks in a row typically experience a higher rate of success, both at school and in the work force.
Ideas for over 80 independent work tasks are presented in this practical resource. Each task description includes a photograph and a detailed list of materials needed to create the task. Suggestions for differentiating the task to meet the needs of learners at different levels are also included with each idea. Introductory material describes work tasks in more detail and suggests ways to establish an independent work system for your student. The Appendix contains sample goals for reflecting a student’s need for developing independent work skills in an Individual Education Plan (IEP). The Appendix also includes sample data sheets for tracking student progress with the work tasks.
Much research has been done that shows that children with autism are strong visual learners. Additionally, children with autism thrive on routine, consistency and clear expectations. Task boxes provide visual cues to enable students to work independently of adults—to derive from the task what is to be done and when it is to be finished. Teaching a child to work independently through a work system of task boxes allows them to use this need for routine and consistency to learn new skills and achieve success. Most importantly, however, task boxes enable a child to develop independence—the ultimate goal of any educational program.
Task boxes are single, organized activities with a clear beginning and end. All task materials are contained within clearly defined boundaries—trays, boxes, baskets, tubs, folders, binders. Each task is presented with visual organization and clarity. The materials clearly define the activity for the student and tell him
